Postgraduate Diploma in Adult Critical Care Nursing
College of Nursing
The Postgraduate Diploma in Adult Critical Care Nursing Program prepares registered nurses for practice roles as licensed Specialist Nurses in adult critical care settings. Aligned with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education (Advanced Level) and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses: Synergy Model of Patient Care, it offers a globally recognized foundation for professional excellence. The program integrates theory with clinical practice to develop nurses’ expertise in providing safe, evidence-based, and high-quality care to critically ill adult patients and their families, while opening diverse career pathways in critical care nursing.
Key Features
- Benchmarked with international standards and accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE.
- Tailored for working professionals with weekend classes.
- Attractive Scholarships for all.
- Hands-on experience and development of specialist critical care nursing skills through clinical rotations in leading Critical/Intensive Care Units (ICUs) under the guidance of experienced preceptors.
- Emphasis on leadership skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing students to work effectively within healthcare teams.
- Opportunity to develop a basic understanding of research principles related to adult critical care nursing, promoting critical thinking and evidence-based practice.
- Develop graduates as competent adult critical care nurses who will deliver evidence-based care and effectively integrate emerging technologies.
- Foster foundational leadership skills & advocacy to effectively manage and coordinate care within a multidisciplinary critical care team, with the goal to ensure optimal health outcomes for critically ill adults and their families.
- Equip graduates with research competencies to critically appraise, generate, and translate research into practice, to improve critical care health outcomes in the UAE and the region.
- Enhance professional development and reflective practice aimed at improving adult critical care outcomes and contribute to national health priorities in the UAE.
- Benchmarked with international standards and accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE.
- Tailored for working professionals with evening and weekend classes.
- Hands-on experience and development of specialist critical care nursing skills through clinical rotations in leading Critical/Intensive Care Units (ICUs) under the guidance of experienced preceptors.
- Emphasis on leadership skills, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing students to work effectively within healthcare teams.
- Opportunity to develop a basic understanding of research principles related to adult critical care nursing, promoting critical thinking and evidence-based practice.
Regular Admission
Applicants must meet the following criteria for admission into the University’s higher education programs:
- A bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited University in the UAE or an equivalent one from outside the UAE.
- A minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or its established equivalent
- A valid license to practice as a Registered Nurse issued by MoH/DHA/HAAD or proof of licensure process is preferable.
Evidence of English proficiency:
- Require IELTS or TOEFL to be submitted as per the international standards.
OR
- Letter from University / Document of evidence to be submitted for the medium of instruction during Bachelor’s degree program
OR
- Evidence submitted that they have completed IELTS/TOEFL (6.0 and above) in the Bachelor’s degree program.
OR
- Equivalent tests prescribed by the Ministry are mandatory prior to admission (This exemption can be applicable only to those students who undertook all their schooling (K-12) plus a bachelor’s degree in English in a reference English-speaking country e.g., UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand).
- The applicant must have at least one year of professional experience prior to admission.
- Selection is based on interviews with the Admissions Committee, Dean/Program Director.
- A letter of support from the employer, guaranteeing release time to allow effective participation in the learning and training of the graduate students enrolling into the Program.
Conditional Admission
- A bachelor’s degree in nursing from an accredited University in the UAE or an equivalent one from outside the UAE.
- Minimum CGPA of 2.5 to 2.9 on a 4.0 scale or its established equivalent.
- A valid license as a Registered Nurse from MoH/DHA/HAAD, UAE, or proof of licensure process is preferable.
Evidence of English proficiency:
- Require IELTS or TOEFL to be submitted as per the international standards.
OR
- Letter from the University to be submitted as evidence for the medium of instruction during the Bachelor’s degree program
OR
- Evidence submitted that they have completed IELTS/TOEFL (6.0 and above) in the Bachelor’s degree program.
- The applicant must have at least one year of professional experience prior to admission
- The student may be admitted to the first semester to take a maximum of nine credit hours. They are mandated to achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale to progress to the second semester or be subject to dismissal.
| Role Specific Competencies | PGDACCN Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) |
| Advanced Critical Care Nursing Practices & Clinical Judgement | PLO1: Demonstrate advanced nursing care by incorporating biopsychosocial & core nursing sciences utilizing critical thinking and clinical reasoning. |
| Ethical Accountability & Communication | PLO2: Establish effective communication and therapeutic relationships with patient, family and inter-professional teams in accordance with ethical, legal and professional standards for health, wellness or peaceful end-of-life experience. |
| Leadership & Collaboration | PLO3: Employ leadership & management principles by fostering shared decision-making through interdisciplinary collaboration, maintaining professional autonomy within the scope of practice to achieve organizational goals and optimal patient care outcomes |
| Technology, Innovation & Quality of Practice | PLO4: Apply patient-centered technologies and artificial intelligence guided by innovation and entrepreneurship for safe, efficient, and quality care |
| Professional development | PLO 5: Develop foundation for self-directed learning to sustain continuous professional development and support advanced practice. |
| Clinical Inquiry | PLO 6: Integrate evidence-based guidelines and clinical expertise, with patient and family preferences to deliver safe, high-quality nursing care. |
Study Plan – Cohort 2025 onwards
Semester – 1
Course Code | Course Title | Cr | L H | Practical Hours | Clinical Hours | Pre- requisite | Co- requisite | ||
Skills Lab | Simulation Lab | Research | |||||||
CCN 111 | Pathophysiological concepts of Adult Critical Illness | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nil | Nil |
CCN 112 | Health Assessment of Adult Critical Illness | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Nil | Nil |
CCN 113 | Adult Critical Care Nursing – Specialty I | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Nil | CCN111 & CCN112 |
CCN 114 | Biostatistics for Health Care Providers | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nil | Nil |
CCN 115 | Adult Critical Care Nursing – Clinical Practicum I | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | Nil | CCN111, CCN112 & CCN113 |
Semester Credit Hours | 12 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 24 | Contact Hours 35 | ||
Semester – 2
Course Code | Course Title | Cr | LH | Practical Hours | Clinical Hours | Pre- requisite | Co- requisite | ||
Skills Lab | Simulation Lab | Research | |||||||
CCN 121 | Applied Research Methodology | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4* | 0 | Nil | Nil |
CCN 122 | Adult Critical Care Nursing – Specialty II | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | CCN113 | CCN123 |
CCN 123 | Pharmacotherapy of Adult Critical Care | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nil | Nil |
CCN 124 | Adult Critical Care Nursing – Clinical Practicum II | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | CCN115 | CCN122, CCN123 & CCN125 |
CCN 125 | Organizational Leadership and Management | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nil | Nil |
Semester Credit Hours | 12 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 24 | Contact Hours 36 | ||
Total Credit Hours in 1 year: 24 | |||||||||
*For Applied Research Methodology 1 Research Practical credit hour is equal to 4 Hours
Semester – 1
CCN 111: Pathophysiological Concepts of Adult Critical Illness
This course introduces pathophysiological concepts essential for understanding adult critical illness. It provides graduate-level nursing students with a comprehensive framework to interpret the complex, multisystem alterations that occur in critically ill patients. Emphasis is placed on the mechanisms of cellular injury, inflammatory responses, and the progression of systemic dysfunction across major organ systems. The course covers pathophysiological concepts across key systems, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, hematologic, hepatobiliary, gastrointestinal, neurological, endocrine, nephrological, oncological, immunologic, and reproductive systems, along with the physiological effects of trauma, burns, and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). Through integrated case-based learning, students will develop clinical reasoning skills necessary to recognize early signs of deterioration, understand disease trajectories, and support decision-making in high-acuity settings. This course lays the essential background for advanced clinical practice and informed interventions in adult critical care nursing.
CCN 112: Health Assessment of Adult Critical Illness
This course equips graduate-level nursing students with the advanced knowledge and clinical assessment skills required for the comprehensive evaluation of critically ill adults. It emphasizes system-wise health assessment, incorporating advanced technologies and procedures relevant to adult critical care. Students will learn to obtain comprehensive and focused health histories, conduct detailed physical examinations, and interpret clinical data to support informed clinical decision-making. The course integrates theoretical foundations with practical applications to develop proficiency in identifying abnormal findings in adults with complex critical conditions. Evidence-based assessment strategies are emphasized throughout to enhance clinical judgment and improve patient outcomes in adult critical care settings.
CCN 113: Adult Critical Care Nursing -Specialty I
This course provides an in-depth exploration of advanced concepts in critical care nursing essential for managing critically ill adults in diverse high-acuity settings. With a focus on holistic, evidence-informed practice, it explores the pathophysiology, assessment, monitoring, and management of complex cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions that critically ill patients face every day. The student will develop competencies in interpreting hemodynamic and respiratory data, managing mechanical ventilation, applying safe, effective sedation and neuromuscular blockade. Beyond clinical expertise, the course fosters a caring approach that incorporates ethical obligations, legal standards, family-centered care, and patient safety as integral elements. The key content areas such as nutrition support, pain management, infection prevention, and the use of nursing informatics, Artificial Intelligence are also woven into the learning experience. Through the integration of case-based learning, evidence-based protocols, and interprofessional collaboration, students will develop clinical insight, empathy, and competence required to deliver safe and compassionate care in critical care environments
CCN 114: Biostatistics for Health Care Providers
This course equips the student with knowledge in the application of descriptive and inferential statistics in biomedical research. The focus will be on numerical computation and interpretation of outcomes from a given data set. This course will help students to develop skills in analyzing and interpreting data from health and allied health settings through classroom demonstrations and ‘hands-on’ experience with MS Excel for data management and statistical analysis software such as Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for analysis. This course will focus on communicating complex statistical information.
CCN 115: Adult Critical Care Nursing -Clinical Practicum I
This practicum course provides hands-on clinical experience in managing critically ill adults in high-acuity settings, with emphasis on advanced cardiovascular and pulmonary care. The students will apply evidence-informed practices to interpret hemodynamic and respiratory data, manage mechanical ventilation, and safely administer sedation and neuromuscular blockade. Emphasis is placed on patient safety, ethical and legal standards, and family-centered care. Through direct patient care, students will integrate skills in pain management, critical care pharmacology, nutritional support, Infection prevention and nursing informatics. Case-based reflection, interprofessional collaboration, and supervised clinical decision-making will enhance their ability to deliver compassionate, high-quality care while developing advanced clinical insight and competence in critical care nursing.
Semester – 2
CCN 121: Applied Research Methodology
This course provides a comprehensive foundation in research methodology with a focus on both theoretical principles and practical application in nursing and healthcare research. It covers key components of the formulation of research questions, research processes, including research approaches, study designs, sampling methods, data collection techniques, and planning for data management and analysis. Emphasis is placed on understanding the ethical and legal aspects of research, including issues related to research fraud, academic misconduct, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest. As part of the course, students will work in research teams to collaboratively develop an integrative review group research project, allowing them to apply learned concepts in a real-world context. Opportunities will be provided for active participation in clinical research activities, seminars, and academic presentations.
CCN 122: Adult Critical Care Nursing -Specialty II
This course is designed to advance the knowledge and clinical decision-making involved in managing critically ill adults with complex neurological, gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, hematologic, burns, sepsis, trauma-related multisystem complications with an emphasis on an evidence-based approach. The students will analyse advanced diagnostics, prioritize care, and apply contemporary technologies to implement critical care interventions. Additionally, the course includes comprehensive exposure to Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), care for transplant patients, quality assurance programs, and strategic workforce planning in ICUs. It integrates advanced clinical skills with leadership, evidence-based practice, ethical and legal principles, and the use of informatics and telehealth in critical care. Additionally, it focuses on quality improvement initiatives, and professional development competencies required to enhance the standard of critical care practice.
CCN 123: Pharmacotherapy of Adult Critical Care
This course is designed to enable students to have an in-depth understanding of the general principles of pharmacotherapeutics with a focus on drug selection, dosing adjustments, and safety considerations in adult critically ill patients. The course covers system-based pharmacology and emergency drugs administered in critical care settings, pharmacovigilance and aligns with the theoretical knowledge of the standard operating procedures & protocols. Evidence-based guidelines and current trends are integrated to keep abreast with the dynamic health care management of adult critically ill patients.
CCN 124: Adult Critical Care Nursing- Clinical Practicum II
This course is designed to advance the knowledge and clinical decision making involved in managing critically ill adults with complex neurological, hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, hematologic, burns, sepsis, trauma-related multisystem complications with an emphasis on an evidence-based approach. The students will analyze advanced diagnostics, prioritize care, and apply contemporary technologies to implement critical care interventions. Additionally, the course includes comprehensive exposure to Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), care for transplant patients, quality assurance programs, and strategic workforce planning in ICUs. It integrates advanced clinical skills with leadership, quality improvement, and professional development competencies required of critical care nurse specialists
CCN 125: Organizational Leadership and Management
This course is designed to prepare the students to understand concepts related to organization, interprofessional collaboration, human resources development, strategic planning and managing, information management, quality management, performance appraisal, leadership, staffing, scheduling, and budgeting principles. The course will enable the students to develop the necessary skill and competency to tackle issues in critical care nursing service along with maximizing interdisciplinary team functions and generating productive results. The course will help students to develop the necessary leadership practice roles within the complexities of the health care delivery system in the UAE by acquiring a broad knowledge in critical nursing leadership and management.
Completion Requirements of the PGDACCN Program Include:
- Successful completion of 24 credits of the program.
- A minimum pass mark of 70% (Grade C) for each course.
- A minimum CGPA of 3.0 out of 4.0.
- Securing a minimum attendance of 80% for theory
- Securing 100% attendance in clinical courses.
Upon completion of the program, the candidate may pursue a variety of roles, including:
- Nurse Specialist-Adult Critical Care Nursing
- Clinical Resource Nurse
- Clinical Nurse Educator
- Charge Nurse/Team Leader